Moron Motorists #3

[London Boy]

Ever considered keying the paintwork as you squeeze though the gap?

[bychosis]

That's worthy of a note on the windscreen like: some cyclists are in a hurry and some can't ride very straight, luckily I had the time to slow and pass carefully then leave you this note to warn you that your car might get scratched by those less careful than me. I hope that doesn't happen to your car.
Sincerely
Bike rider.

[nezumi]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K40EZ1cYzdE

[redned]

I couldn't find an original of this photo from the West Australian this morning, so had to scan it. Cars dodging the freeway congestion by shooting down the shared path.

[wellington_street]

I believe the headline was "Bogan drivers..." as well!

WAPol do your bloody job and fine every single one of these naughty word.

Mod says: no naughty words please.

[briztoon]

Not sure where this should go.

I did an easy Wynnum/Wellington Point ride this morning. Lots of cyclists and groups out this morning. On the return I jumped on to the shared path that parallels Rickertt Road while a group of about 20+ rolled up Rickertt Road at a fair pace. As they were approaching the Tingalpa creek bridge some bogan yelled at them to get off the road and hurled a bottle at the group that smashed about middle of the group. Man I hope some of them have cameras. The group was riding two abreast at that stage, but all looked to be on the shoulder of the road. There was some yelling, but they hardly broke pace.

[The Fixer]

Jamming along on my way to work one morning last week, approaching a roundabout intending to proceed straight ahead.
A quick look over the shoulder, all clear, so I claim my lane with plenty of room and time to spare.
Arriving at the roundabout, a look to the right shows nothing near. No traffic approaching from directly ahead, and a single
vehicle approaching from the left, but not actually at the roundabout. Plenty of room and time for me to clear the round-
about ahead of him.

Double-check to the right, still clear, and so I continue ahead (at around 20-25 km/h), and.......

There he is, RIGHT in front of me. Metres away at most. Never slowed for the roundabout, and certainly never looked.

I grabbed the brakes and threw the bike into a tight right-hand turn, and just managed to turn inside him (between his car
and the centre island of the roundabout) and avoid a collision. I even managed to stay aboard, but it was a near thing.

I might add that the bike is a fairly visible metallic gold in colour, is fitted with wheel reflectors, and I was wearing an
orange hi-viz work-shirt and a red helmet, so I wasn't hard to see. And the sun was behind him.

If I'd been even slightly less attentive, or if I'd been on my MTB, I'd not be sitting here posting this, of that I'm certain. But
my 1980-vintage Apollo III did everything I asked of her. Just co-incidentally, it's only been a couple of weeks since I rebuilt
her brakes, with new shoes, cables etc. and fitted some new tyres. Glad now that I did that.

The other vehicle? Well, he couldn't have cared less, didn't stop or slow, just drove off with the sound of my very salty
abuse ringing in his ears...

[Red Rider]

Fixer, that happens so often I half expect cars to do that every time. Good skills to avoid the hit.

Had a similar one this morning, a couple of mates 30 meters ahead in the bike lane going past a T junction where we go straight through, the car turning onto our road pulls straight in front of them, pulls into the bike lane and stops, the riders had to jam on the brakes to a complete stop. I have nfi what car driver was thinking, if they wanted to be a massive nuisance or just got flustered and tried to get out of the way and ended up doing the worst thing. It eventually moved away and turned off a short time later.

[il padrone]

Had that happened to me, Red Rider, I would have been having some stern words with the driver of that vehicle

[dmwill]

Turning right at the roundabout at the bottom of Hepburn this morning. Light traffic...about to take my exit and nearly got cut off by some ferral girl in a dual cab ute (she definitely saw me - just too impatient I'm guessing). Plates along the lines of 'Unforgiven'. What's with people with distinct cars/plates doing stupid things?

Normally I shrug these things off, but in this instance I threw a few kind words at her. Took same exit and did the deadpan look straight ahead and held the finger up at me. Then looked like a moron as she forgot to turn off her left indicator for the best part of 400m.

This does being me to one question though;

Turning right at dual lane roundabouts where the arrows indicate you can only turn from the inside lane. How do you take the exit when on a bike? Remain in the inside lane and move over on the straight when safe or cut over to the outside lane as you take the exit?

Reason I ask is I could have technically been in the wrong as I did the latter.

[il padrone]

This does being me to one question though;

Turning right at dual lane roundabouts where the arrows indicate you can only turn from the inside lane. How do you take the exit when on a bike? Remain in the inside lane and move over on the straight when safe or cut over to the outside lane as you take the exit?

Reason I ask is I could have technically been in the wrong as I did the latter.

Do it just like you would in the car.

You have to cross from the inside lane to your exit (ideally signalling, but this is only "where practical"). If the exit has two lanes you may stay in the right lane or cross to the left lane, again signalling this. Regardless of this, a driver entering the roundabout must give way to a vehicle already on the roundabout. No doubt about this.

[dmwill]

Figured that be the way.

I could have been a bit better with the signalling I think. I indicated my turn, but not my exit (Probably because I saw this crazy woman come through and had to plant it on the brakes.

[The Fixer]

This does being me to one question though;

Turning right at dual lane roundabouts where the arrows indicate you can only turn from the inside lane. How do you take the exit when on a bike? Remain in the inside lane and move over on the straight when safe or cut over to the outside lane as you take the exit?

Reason I ask is I could have technically been in the wrong as I did the latter.

Do it just like you would in the car.

You have to cross from the inside lane to your exit (ideally signalling, but this is only "where practical"). If the exit has two lanes you may stay in the right lane or cross to the left lane, again signalling this. Regardless of this, a driver entering the roundabout must give way to a vehicle already on the roundabout. No doubt about this.

Yes, I wish the bloke who nearly got me had known that...

I was well into the roundabout before he entered it (at speed).

[dmwill]

Problem with dual lane roundabouts is that people assume you're in the other lane, so it's ok for them to pull in. Even when I'm driving, I wait. People are unpredictable.

[CXCommuter]

Problem with dual lane roundabouts is that people assume you're in the other lane, so it's ok for them to pull in. Even when I'm driving, I wait. People are unpredictable.

If you want to be entertained you should try turning right onto Hepburn Avenue from Glengarry Drive- one lane into a two lane roundabout- you need spidey sense to make it out the other side alive.

[wellington_street]

Problem with dual lane roundabouts is that people assume you're in the other lane, so it's ok for them to pull in. Even when I'm driving, I wait. People are unpredictable.

If you want to be entertained you should try turning right onto Hepburn Avenue from Glengarry Drive- one lane into a two lane roundabout- you need spidey sense to make it out the other side alive.

Yep, <naughty words> will go even if you are turning right into the left lane, which you are perfectly entitled to do.

[nezumi]

Turning right at dual lane roundabouts where the arrows indicate you can only turn from the inside lane. How do you take the exit when on a bike? Remain in the inside lane and move over on the straight when safe or cut over to the outside lane as you take the exit?

Reason I ask is I could have technically been in the wrong as I did the latter.

The technically correct way is to stay in the outside lane, indicate your turn right and give way to exiting traffic at each exit. This is a stupid way of managing the roundabout and defeats the purpose. Better to behave as a vehicle and take the correct right turn lane.

[il padrone]

Wrong there. The technically and legally correct method is to ride through behaving as any other vehicle. An allowed variation for (timid) cyclists is the flawed and dangerous method of staying in the left lane and being required to give way to any vehicles behind you

[Tomca74]

Pulled this off my dashcam on a trip up the highway towards Caloundra.

[Lukeyboy]

Not helping with the aerodynamics thats for sure.

[BianchiCam]

[HiChris]

That was close!

[JohnJoyner]

I couldn't find an original of this photo from the West Australian this morning, so had to scan it. Cars dodging the freeway congestion by shooting down the shared path.

Gee, how'd they cope if they really hit some traffic, such as in Sydney?

I had a MM whilst driving back from Cronulla Beach with my daughter in the back. I am in the right lane of a 2 lane road, passing a few Sunday drivers on the left. The last one in the line on the left, with me about 20-30 metres short of passing him, then flicks on his right blinker & a milisecond later changes into the right lane. There are no cars in front of him in either lane & still about 2 kms until we hit traffic lights, where I may add, both lanes can make the right turn. So I change lanes, pass him on the left, as do 2 or 3 other cars behind me...
At the lights he happens to have stopped next to me. I put my window down, as does he & I politely ask "What was the point of that lane change?" His reply.. "I do what I want, it was my space..."
I couldn't think of a reply to that... Other to tell him to stick to the left lane unless over taking... I watched him on & off in my rear view mirror for the next 5 or so kilometres, driving in the right hand lane, going a little below the speed limit, holding traffic up...
The sheer arrogance, stupidity & selfishness is gob smacking.

[CXCommuter]

I couldn't find an original of this photo from the West Australian this morning, so had to scan it. Cars dodging the freeway congestion by shooting down the shared path.

Gee, how'd they cope if they really hit some traffic, such as in Sydney?

I had a MM whilst driving back from Cronulla Beach with my daughter in the back. I am in the right lane of a 2 lane road, passing a few Sunday drivers on the left. The last one in the line on the left, with me about 20-30 metres short of passing him, then flicks on his right blinker & a milisecond later changes into the right lane. There are no cars in front of him in either lane & still about 2 kms until we hit traffic lights, where I may add, both lanes can make the right turn. So I change lanes, pass him on the left, as do 2 or 3 other cars behind me...
At the lights he happens to have stopped next to me. I put my window down, as does he & I politely ask "What was the point of that lane change?" His reply.. "I do what I want, it was my space..."
I couldn't think of a reply to that... Other to tell him to stick to the left lane unless over taking... I watched him on & off in my rear view mirror for the next 5 or so kilometres, driving in the right hand lane, going a little below the speed limit, holding traffic up...
The sheer arrogance, stupidity & selfishness is gob smacking.

Have to be careful I got pulled over by a rabid undercover cop covering me in spittle after I undertook a car doing similar to above- didn't get booked but realised the argument was not worth it and just appeared to grovel like a dog until the cop moved on satisfied they had done their civic duty for the day.

[MisuVir]

Have to be careful I got pulled over by a rabid undercover cop covering me in spittle after I undertook a car doing similar to above- didn't get booked but realised the argument was not worth it and just appeared to grovel like a dog until the cop moved on satisfied they had done their civic duty for the day.

Huh... isn't undertaking allowed in Australia...?